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Reconciliation In the Aftermath of Violence

Posted by Ryan Hall

09.30.15

By Rosemarie Pace

Phyllis and Orlando Rodriguez, whose son Greg was killed on 9/11/01.

During the Campaign Nonviolence Week of Actions, in honor of both 9/11 and the UN International Peace Day, Pax Christi Metro New York hosted a showing of the film, “In Our Son’s Name,”about the transformative experience of Phyllis and Orlando Rodriguez after their son, Gregory, was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. Rather than revenge, they chose reconciliation. This decision thrust them reluctantly into the public eye as they spoke out against war in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposed the death penalty for 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, befriended his mother, and reached out to men incarcerated for violent crimes. After the film, Phyllis and Orlando engaged in discussion with our audience of 25 people.

Their ability to empathize with Aicha Moussaoui, Zacarias’s mother, had a profound effect on everyone, as did their overall sense of mercy and commitment to nonviolence. It was an inspiring afternoon and a film everyone should see.

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